Nation Commemorates 9/11 22nd Anniversary
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City will host its annual commemoration ceremony honoring the people killed in the 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93, reports ABC7 New York on MSN.com. The ceremony begins at 8:30am.
Pentagon: No Evidence of Aliens in UFO Cases
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities was told last week that none of the more than 650 unexplained anomalous phenomena, or UAP, incidents under investigation since the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office’s July 2022 inception were of an alien nature.
Contractors Get Half of DoD Budget
More than half of the Pentagon’s yearly budget goes to private contractors. In 2021, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman received over $116 billion in Pentagon contracts while paying their top two dozen executives a total of $287 million. The CEOs of the top five contractors received compensation ranging from $18 million to $23 million each.
State Dept. Ups Reward for Info on Hackers
The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identity and location of five hackers thought to be part of the Russia-backed Conti ransomware group. Another Russian hacking group is claiming an attack on Lockheed Martin that knocked the company’s websites offline.
New Helicopters Headed to Andrews
Joint Base Andrews, MD, will be the next location to receive the new MH-139 helicopter. The Grey Wolf will replace the aging UH-1N Huey and expand the base’s fleet size.
Nominations Due for TPP Member of Year
Nominations are open for The Patuxent Partnership Member of the Year Award. The deadline for nominations is today, April 5.
Deployments in Europe Likely to Remain Into Summer
The Pentagon said that thousands of troops mobilized over the past few months to Eastern Europe will most likely remain into the summer. DoD also announced that the US will send additional aid to Ukraine: $300 million more in military supplies, including drones, laser-guided missiles, armored vehicles, and machine guns.
TPP Seeks Member of Yr. Nominees
Nominations are open for The Patuxent Partnership Member of the Year Award. They will be accepted until April 5.
Milestone for Marines F-35C Squadron
The Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 Black Knights are the first Marine Corps F-35C squadron to achieve full operational capability.
Italian Carrier Readies for Its 1st F-35B
Italy’s ITS Cavour will receive its first F-35B this month after the aircraft carrier started certification work in the US earlier this year. Final checks are being conducted at Cameri air base. The assembly facility is expected to turn out 90 F-35s for Italy, including 30 F-35Bs. The Cavour began its certification in February 2021 out of Naval Station Norfolk, VA.
